Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv – this is his first visit to Kyiv in his new status as NATO Secretary General and the fifth during a full-scale war.
Rutte took up the post of NATO Secretary General on October 1.
AFP and Bloomberg reported on October 3 that Rutte met with Vladimir Zelensky, with whom they discussed the prospects for cooperation between Ukraine and the Alliance, the Victory Plan, the future Ramstein, as well as the situation at the front and weapons.
The President of Ukraine emphasized that partners are delaying its supply. Another issue was the joint shooting down of Russian air targets, as partners do in the Middle East.
Mark Rutte noted NATO’s full support for Ukraine and added that Kyiv is close to the Alliance as never before. He recalled that Ukraine receives 99% of its military support from NATO countries.
On March 1, 2024, Rutte, in the status of Prime Minister of the Netherlands, visited Kharkov together with President Zelensky.
During his inauguration on October 1, Rutte said in Brussels that Ukraine would be a top priority. The more help we provide to Ukraine, the faster the war will end, Rutte said at his first press conference as NATO secretary general.
He called tightening military assistance to Kyiv a priority. Rutte said that the downing of the MH17 plane in the summer of 2014 became a personal experience for him, demonstrating that the war goes far beyond the front lines – so now it is necessary to make every effort.
When asked by journalists whether he supported the position of the previous Secretary General that Ukraine should be allowed to be a Western weapon deep into Russia, he replied that he understood Ukraine’s request and that it had the right to do so.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.